Internal-combustion engine.



F. L. DYER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1906.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

6 SHEETS$HEET 1.

Invemar:

F. L. DYER. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. 1906.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

6 SHEETSSHEET 2.

In ventmra A-ttest:

F. L. DYER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1906.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3.

In ventar F. L. DYER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1906.

1,007,27 Patented 0ct.31 1911. s SHEETS-SHEET 4.

.J 3 7 y 6' v V X J1 Y I i F. L. DYER. INTTFERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 20, 1906.

Patented 001;. 31, 1911.

6 SHEBTS-SHEET 5.

F. L. DYER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1906,

LOOYfimB Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

GSHEETS-SHEBT 6v A ile??? I In ventor inder; Fig. 6

Toall whom it may concern:

i c it 'known that IQFRANK L.- DYEn a citizen of the United States, anda resident Qtate of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful'Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which thefollowng'is a description.

My invention-relates to internal combusnon engines wherein a pluralityof cylinders are used, each of which normally opertesas a'four-cycleinternal combustion engine-and which are so arranged that. the powerstroke occurs at a different time in e ach, so as to provideapraetically continu- Ious application of power to the main shaft.

My invention has for its object the previ- 75 not means whereby such anengine may befreadily started or gotten into operation, 3 29,-wi'1ichmeans consist more particularly of leviceswhereby each cylinder may becon ng to admit air at the be inning of every forward or downward stro eof the piston, allowing the same to expand as the piston advances andthen exhausting during the return or upward movement of the piston.

- My invention has for its further object the application of such adevice to a. multi- ,130f'ple cylinder engine so that all the cylinders'may be thrown into operation together as f compressed air engines, andthe said -cylin ,l dersniaythen be converted one by one into -fi1iders.

. and claimed. 7

Reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in Which- Figure 1is .a plan view of a four-cylinder engine constructed in accordance withmy invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the Jsame; Fig. 3 is asection on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of thevalyefor admitting explosive mixture to.

- one of the cylinders and represents also. the

construction of the exhaust valve; Fig. 5 is a similar view of the valvefor "controlling the admission ofcompressed air into the cylcertainparts of the mechanism for operatsTATns ATENT Ionic. i

" FRANK L. DYER, or MGNTGLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Application-filed September 20, 1906.Serial No. $35,381.

1 of Montclair, in the county of Essex and verted jinto a compressed airengine operat-.

iioijinally operating internal combustion cylis a perspective viewshowing msnunn-comnusrrou ENGINE.-

Patented Oct. 31, 1911'.

ing the "elves of a single cylinder; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic'viewillustrating the relative positions of the four istons and cranks oftheengine; Fig. 8 is a cliagrammatic view illustrating the respectiveshapes and positions of the cams carried by the controller shaft bywhich myinvention is thrown into and out'of operation; Figs. ,9, 10, l1and 12 are diagrammatic views, each of which represents the cams whichoperate the valves of a, single cylinder; these figures taken togetherrepresent. simultaneous positions of all the cams used in operating the.valves of the four cylinders. J

The engine illustrated comprises four cylinders a, Z), c and d which arebolted to a crank case 2 in the usual manner and each of which isprovided with a piston f and connecting rod 9' secured to a crank on-themain shaft 7a the relative arrangements of pistons and cranksbeing thatWhichis usual in a four cylinder engine of this type, that is, thecranks arcplaced at intervals of 90 clegrecs around the crank shaft {seeFig. 7).

Each cylinder provided with an inlet port 1 closed by a valve Any formof valve may he used but I form of puppet valve having a stem 3, asshown in Fig. 4. The inlet pipe '1 draws its supply of explosive mixturein the usuai manner. Each cylinder is provided with an exhaust a whichis cioscd by a valve similar to that shown in Fig. 4, and provided witha verticalsteiu 5. Each cylinder is also provided with an auxiliaryvalve 6 which is adapted to admit compressed air' to the cylinder from apipe 7 which is'in communication with a compressed air reser oir. Thevalve (3 inav be a balanced valve asiilustrated in Fig. 5 wherein aseries of ports 8 surround a piston 9 which provided with longitudinalopenings 10 and packing rings 1 The piston 9 is threaded on a verticalrod 12 which extends inward as shown.

Each of the rods 3, 5 an 12 for operating the valves is surrounded by acoil spring 13 for holding the valve normally in a closed position. Thecam shaft 14 is driven from the main shaft It at exactly half the s eedof the latter in any suitable manner, as y a chain 15 passing oversprockets 16, and 17. This shaft carries four cams for each cylinpreferthe usual 35 diatelybelow the plunger 19 The plate-26 deror l6 cams forthe four cylinders,namely, cams 1, 1}, 1. and 1 for operating the fourinlet valvesj 252 2 and .2 for operating the auxiliary compressedair'valves and 3 5 .4, 3 4;", 3, 9,3 and for; operatin the exhaustvalves. Each of these cams ars against a friction roller 18,'carried bya vertical plunger which slides in abearing frame 20 and is held againstrotation bya pin21 passing through aslot 22in the plunger, The valveoperating mechanism is the same for each cylinder, so it will suffice todescribe that shown ind et-ail, in Fig. 6', which isthe mechanism ofcylinder 4. i The plunger19 is operated by the-plunger 'l9 by 2, 19? by3 and 19 by 4:. Springs ,23 are provided for holding each of. therollerslS against its respective cam. The valve stems 3, l2 and 5 carryat 20 their upper end plates 24, and 26 respectively. Upon the plate 24are lugs .27 between which is ivoted a link 28 which extends upward terefromand ispivoted at 29 to one end of a link 30. The-otherend' T25 ofthe link 30 is ivoted. upon a horizontal pin or shaft 31 w i'ch issupportedfrom the frame 20 by means of links 32 depending from bracketsor lugs 33 integral with or secured to said franie. The plate 25 is pro-30 videdwith lugs 34; to which is pivoted-a;

link 35. The upper end of the'link 35 is pivoted to a link \36' which ispivbted, on the pin3l. The plate 26 i's providedwith a vertical lug 39whose upper. end is immes the cam 1 is provided with a lug40 to which ispivoted a link 41 whose upper end is pivoted to a link 42 which ispivoted'ronthepin ari The arm 37 which is intc' 'lal with one offirearms32 enfcnds toward thecontroller shaft 43 and carries a roller 44 for.engage-' ment with one ofthe cams-5"- on saidshaft" (see Fig.3? theroller beingheld against said cam )y' any suitable means, as a- 46spring .51. The controller shaft '43 is provided with one cam for eachcylinder,-namcly cams 5, 5", 5 and 5 The outline'of each cam isdifferent, as shown most'clearly in Fig. 8, which 50 shows. also therespective positions-ofthe difi'erent cams. These cams are provided forthe purpose of producing certain changes in the operation of the valvemechanism'for each .cylinder, clearly illustrated in Fig.- 6. It will beobserved that as the shaft 43 is .rotated the cam5 acting uponthe'roller 44 and arm 37 moves the pin 31 in a direction away from theshaft 43, the said arms 32sw1nging'on their pivots so as to permit suchmovement, and by reason of this movement the upper end of the link 28 iscarried back-from under the plunger 19 so that the valve stem 3 will nolonger be operated thereby. -At the same time the link e res .35 iscarried'under'the plunger 19 so that the valve stem 12w'hich wasformerly i will now be operatedzby the said plung Likewise the link 41will be carried imr diately below the 'lunger 19 while the a 39 remainsin its ormer position below 1 plunger 19 sothat the valve stem 5 is noperated alternately b plungers- 19 a '19. The'up er ends 0 the links28, 35 a 41 are bevel 'as shown in order to cause i link to be presseddownward (as it is' turn on its pivot)-bywhichever plunger is in sitlonat that time. In'this n position 0 parts, therefore, the valve 1admitting explosive mixture to the cylint remains permanently closedandeach cylf der operates as .a single. acting compress air'engineiadmitting compressed air at t beginning of each stroke, cuttingthe sai oil'- after a. slight movement of the pistt expanding the sameand then-exhausti duri the return of the piston, the 'exhai valvh heingoperated alternately bythe ca] 3? and 4, so as to be opened each time tpiston has completed its. forward movemei When the parts are inthe'position show the .plun er 19 will operate the valve ste 3 throngthe link 28 the plunger 19 w moveidlysince the link 35 is out of itspatthe plunger 19 will operate the valve ste 5. through the arm 39; and theplunger 1 will operate idly since thelink i1 is out its path. Thecylinder will therefore ope ate as a .four-cycle conibustion engine.

- Sinoethe cams 5f, 5", 5 and 5 are of tl shapes and relative positionsshown in Fi 8 it is obvious that amovement of the can in the directionindicated'by the arrows wi simultaneously convert the cylinders a, b,and (2 into single acting compressed air e1 gins and since the cranksofthe main sha are set at intervals of degrees one of H pistons will beat or near the beginning its stroke so that the compressed air ente ingthe cylinder will start the engine, an as, the other cylinderssuccessively come inl operation the engine will continue to ope) ate andwill gain speed very rapidly. A soon as the desired speed has beenobtaine the movement of the shaft 43 is'continue and the cams 5*, 5, 5and 5 thereupon su cessivelyrestore the valve mechanism c each cylinderto the position of Fig. 6 when by the cylinder is converted from a conpressed air engine to -a four-cycle interns combustion engine. The camsare so shape that the'cylinder (l 'will first be converted then thecylinder 0, then the cylinder 6 on then the cyliuder'a. Tn practice,since ,th engine will gain speed very rapidly, the 0p eratorwvill givethe controller shaft '43 continuous movement and at the end of oncomplete revolution the engine will be i1 normal operation asa'four-cyclc interna combustion engine. The controller shaft 4 alsocarries a cam 5 scc Figs. 2 and 8i which operotw a roller l5 end plungerdo tor controlling the compressed air supply of the pipe 3 by means ofit suitable valve locsted st. in the said pipe. 'tllhis vslve will beclosed when the cum 5 is in the po sition shown in Fig. 8 whichrepresents the. 'urrongoinent (HE ports when the engine is operetinp; ason internal combustion engine. In roll other positions oft-he cont 5 thevslve 50 will be open for supplying the cylinders with compressed -airthrough the pipe 7-.

A .lti svin'g-no-w described my invention, when "l claim us new enddesire to secure by Letwant is es follows:

1. In on intecnul combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder,having s pi"- ton, and inlet end exhaust valves, and menus for operatingsuid exhale-it volve utthe end of every even numbered forward stroke ofthe piston, and means for operating said inlet valve, of en aunilieryvalve for admitting compressed stir to the cylinder at every forwardpiston stroke, and moons tor deer-sling the some, and auxiliary means independent of said exhaust valve operating; means for operating saidexhaust valve at. the end of every odd numbered 'lorwnrd piston. stroke,and means for simultaneously rendering inope 'ative the inlet valveoperating means, and rendering operative the compressed air valveoperating means and auxiliury exhaust valve operating menus, whileleaving in operation the main exhaust valve operating means,substantially as set forth.

.2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder andpiston, an errlocust valve, mechanism for operating said valve at theend of every olterncte forwardstroke of the piston, at second me hanismfor operatin said valve and acting alternately with sci A firstmechanism, a member pivoted to.said alve, and means for turning saidmember-on" its pivot so as to bring it into the path of the secondi'nechanism to thereby operate the valve, substantially as set forth.

3. In a multiple cylinder internal combu tion engine having a pluralityof cylinders greater than two, the combination with the cylinders,pistons and exhaust valves, of mechanisms for o ierat-ing said exhaustvalves at the end oi alter-note forward piston strokes,nuiriliary'meehenisms operating alternately with sold first mechenisms,novable members, and means for simultaneously moving suid movablemembers into the paths of the'eusilinry mechanisms and for succsssivelymoving said movable members out of the paths of said auxilierymechanisms, substantially as set forth.

i. in a multiple cylinder internal combos tion engine, the combinationwith the cy1intill tiers, pistons and exhaust valves, of mechenisms foro crating said exhaust valves at the'end of a tomato torvverdpistonstrokes, eu'silin y mechanisms operating alternately with the firstnamed mechanisms, movable members on said wives, and means for si.multoneously moving said movable members into the paths of theauxiliary mechanisms rand for successively moving said vniomble membersout of the paths of said auxiliary mechanisms, substantially as setforth.

5. lln an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder,piston, inlet valve, means for operating said valve at every secondforward stroke of the pf ton, an auxiliary valve for admittingcompressed air to the cylinder, mechanism for operating said auxiliaryvalve at every forward piston stroke and a member connected to saidauxiliary valve and movable into and out of the path of said. mechanism,substun daily as set forth.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder,piston, inlet valve and means for operating said valve at every secondforward stroke of the piston, on aux iliary valveior admittingcompressed air to the cylinder, mechanism for operating said auxiliaryvalve at every forward piston stroke, a inen'iber pivoted to theauxiliary valveand means for turning said member on its pivot to bringit into and out oi the path of said" mechanism, substantially set forth.

7. In it multiple cylinder internal combos t-ion engine having aplurality oi? cylinders greater than two, the combination with thecylinders, pistons, inlet and exhaust valves, means for normallyoperating sat-id valves as in o. four-oycle engine, an auxiliary valvefor each cylinder for admitting compressed air thereto, mechanism foroperating said our: iliury valves, members movable into and out of thepath of said mechanisms and means so positioned as an actuation to movesaid members simultaneously into and successively out of the paths ofsaid mechanisms, substantially set forth.

8. In on internal combustion engine, the combinationwith a cylinder,having a pis-- ton and fuel inlet and exhaust. valves, of means fornormally operating said valves as in a four-cycle engine, auxiliaryvalve for admitting compressed air to said cylinder when said valve isoperating, :1 compressed sir supp y pipe, a valve therein, and means forsimultaneously opening suid lust numed valve and so controlling saidother valves as to convert the cylinder into it two cycle compressed airengine, substantially asset forth.

9. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, the combinationwith cylinders having pistons, and fuel'inlet and exhaust valves, ofmeans for normally operating said valves as in o four-cycle. engine, anauxiliary valve for each cylinder for admitting compressed oir theretowhensaid valve is open sting, e compressed airsupply pipe for sup:

com?

plying compressed air to all said cylinders, a valve therein, and meansfor simultaneously opening said last named valve and so controlling saidother valves as to convert said cylinders into two-cycle com ressed airengines, substantially as set fort 10. Inan internal combustion engine,the combination with a cylinder, of valves and valve actuating mechanismtherefor designed to operate as a four-cycle internal combustion engine,an auxiliary valve for said cylinder, means for actuating 'said valves,-a rock shaft and a revoluble shaft, both axially immovable, and meansinterposable betweenthe said valves and valve actuating means, connectedto said rock shaft andcontrollable from said other shaft for operatingsaid cylinder as a four-cycle internal com ustion engine or convertingit into a two-cycle fluid pressure engine, substantially as set forth.

11. A plurality of internal combustion motors arranged side by side, amain shaft commomto said motors, a shaft parallel to said main shaft, anactuating crank therefor, valves and valve actuating mechanism for themotors designed to operate the same as four cycle internal combustionengines, an auxiliary valve for supplying compressed air, memberspivoted to allthe valves and movable under the control of the secondnamed shaft, into and out of the paths of -said valve actuating means,and operating when moved within the paths thereof to convert the motorsinto two cycle fluid pressure engines, substantially as set forth.

12. In a multiple cylinder internal combustionengine, ,the combinationwith the,

cylinders, pistons, inlet and exhaust valves, means for normallyoperating said valves asin a four-cycle engine, an auxiliary valve foreach cylinder for admitting compressed air thereto, mechanism foroperating said auxiliary valves, members movable into and out of thepaths of said mechanisms and OfSflld vo erating means, connectlons'fromsaid mem ers, and a revoluble member coacting therewith toso move saidmembers as to-convert said cylinders simultaneously into two-cyclecompressed ,air engines and to successive] reconvert them one at a timeinto four-eye e engines, substant ally as set forth.

- 13. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, the combinationwith the cylinders, pistons, inlet and exhaust valves,

means for normally operating said valves as in. a four-cycle engine, anauxiliary valve for each cylinder for. admitting compressed members, anda revoluble member co-acting therewith while being rotated continuouslyfor one revolution to so move said members as to convert said cylinderssimultaneously into two-cycle compressed air engines and to successivelyreconvert them one at'a' time into four-cycle engines, substantially asset a0 forth. v

14. An engine com rising a plurality of cylinders, each cylin er havinvalves and actuating mechanism therefor or operating said cylinder as afour cycle internal com 5 bustion engine, and also valves and actuatingmechanism therefor'for operating said 7 cy inder as a compressed airengine,and converting means applied to each cylinder for simultaneouslyrendering operative one 30' of said actuating mechanisms and renderinginoperative the other of said actuating mechanisms, the converting meansfor one cylinder being movable independently of the corresponding meansfor the other e linder or 35 7 cylinders, substantially as set fort 1.

15. An engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, each cylinderhavlngvalves and actuating mechanism therefor for operating saidcylinder as a four cycle-internal combustion engine, and also valves andactuating mechanism therefor for operating said, cylinder as acompressed air engine, convertr 7 ing means applied to each cylinder forsimultaneously rendering operative one of an, said actuating mechanismsand renderinginoperative the other of said actuating mechanisms, theconverting means for one cylinder being movable independently of thecorre spending means for the other cylinder or 106 cylinders, andcommonmeans for control ling the movement of each of said converting means,substantially as set forth,

16. An engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder'havinvalves andactuating mechanism therefor or operating said cylinder as afour cycle internal com-Y bustionengine, and also valves and actuatinmechanism therefor, for operating said cy inder as a compressedairengine, conno verting means app led to each cylinder forsimultaneously "rendering operative one of said actuating mechanisms andrendering inoperative the other of'said actuating mechanisms, theconvertin means for one eylinder being movable in e endentl'y of thecorresponding means for t e other cylinder orcylinder-sand common meansfor control 1mg the movement ofeach of said converting means,-saidcontrolling means-causing 12 the cylinders to be convertedsimultaneously into compressed air engines and successively intointernal combustion engines, substan tiall as set forth.

' 1 In an internal combustion engine, the 123;

combination of a cylinder and piston, an exhaust valve, mechanism foroperating saidvalve at-the end of every alternate forward stroke of theiston, mechanism operatin alternately we and independently of said 186 ifirst mecheinism, and a member movable ilit'o speeifioationsigned andwitnessed a position between said second mechanism this 18 day ofSeptember, 1906.

and said valve to cause it to operate the said FRANK L T,

valve, said movement being-made without i 5 affecting the operativeconnection of said Witnesses:

firstmechanism andyalve, substantially as ANNAR. Knew;

set forth. v FRAN D. LEWIS. I

